What was your favorite picture book as a kid?
Since I was an avid reader, my parents invested in a four-book Disney series, each with a different color on the spine. My favorite was the red volume with stories of all the classic Disney princesses (through 1966, of course). It nurtured the secret feminine side of my tomboy soul.

What was the first “real” book (with chapters and without pictures) you remember reading?
My fourth-grade teacher, “Killer” Miller, discerned my boredom in reading class and handed me a dog-eared copy of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. She quizzed me thoroughly because she didn’t believe I’d finished in less than two weeks, but I devoured every word and fell in love with fiction.

What was your most favorite book in high school?
I discovered C.S. Lewis in high school, whose books transported me to fanciful worlds of imagination. I appreciated the Tales of Narnia, but I had fallen in love with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk on the original Star Trek. When I learned Lewis had written a space trilogy, I swooned. Out of the Silent Planet was my favorite.

What was your least favorite book in high school?
Lord of the Flies, assigned reading by my uber-elite English teacher. Gross. I didn’t finish and faked my way through the exam.

What was the last novel you read?
I read an advanced reader copy and endorsed the third book in Barbour Publishing’s “A Day to Remember” series, in which my book is the second published. The title is When Hope Sank, and it’s written by Denise Weimer. It’s set during the sinking of the Sultana Steamboat at the close of the Civil War carrying more than 2,100 souls, many of whom were Union soldiers who had survived interment in the dreaded POW camps of the Confederacy. It’s terrific!

What was the last nonfiction book you read?
I confess. Nonfiction doesn’t usually interest me unless it serves my writing. I read The Hartford Circus Fire: Tragedy Under the Big Top in preparation for writing my debut novel. It’s heartbreaking and riveting. The author, Mike Skidgell, has chronicled not only the events of the fire but actual stories of victims and survivors.

Which book lived up to the hype (from the past 1-2 years)?
I read Within These Walls of Sorrow, the 2023 Christy Book of the Year by Amanda Barratt. It was so intense and heartrending I almost couldn’t finish. I had to devour it in small “meals,” but I was glad I did. It fueled my desire to complete a novel I’ve plotted during the Holocaust in Latvia.

Which book do you love that needs more hype?
I loved The Endling by Deborah Maxey. It won several awards when it was released, but many folks to whom I’ve mentioned it have never heard of it. It’s the story of a young Native American woman who must flee New York City when she witnesses a murder. She eludes capture by hiding in the Blue Ridge mountains in the land of her people and reconnects with her heritage while the murderers are brought to justice.

Next novel on your TBR.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I loved the Netflix limited series, and the excerpts have some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read. It’s a World War II story of a blind girl trying to survive the bombing of Saint-Malo in France while hiding a coveted, cursed gemstone from a ruthless Nazi seeking its alleged curative powers.

Next nonfiction on your TBR.
Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James. I’ve attended several writing workshops the author taught, and I’m fascinated with his process for plotting stories. This will be ambitious for a girl who always follows the rules.

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.
My debut novel, When the Flames Ravaged, is now on sale. Released by Barbour Publishing, it’s a Christian historical romance set during the devastating circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut in 1944 that burned the big top to the ground with more than 8,000 people in attendance.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I’m thankful for this opportunity to connect with readers, and I hope to make many new friends.

Rhonda Dragomir is a multimedia creative who treasures her fairy tale life in Central Kentucky, insisting her home is her castle even if her prince refuses to dig a moat. A graduate of Asbury University with a degree in Social Work, she is a committed pastor’s wife and Bible teacher. Rhonda is also an award-winning writer, with published works in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Revell, and other anthologies. Her debut novel, When the Flames Ravaged, was released by Barbour Publishing February 29, 2024. https://rhondadragomir.com

For more recommendations, check:

Book Recommendations with Patty LaRoche
Book Recommendations with Michele Chynoweth